Snapshots: Bruins vs. Avalanche

In-game news, notes & numbers.

BOSTON BRUINS (2-0-0) VS COLORADO AVALANCHE (3-0-0)

9:34 pm - Third Period Snapshots: FINAL Bruins 0, Avalanche 2

AVALANCHE HAND B'S THEIR FIRST LOSS: The Colorado Avalanche will remain undefeated and improve to 4-0-0 as they hand the Bruins their first loss of the 2012-13 campaign. Tonight's game saw solid goaltending from both teams with Colorado's Jean-Sebastien Giguere earning the shutout, marking his first shutout this season and against the Bruins. Tuukka Rask also had a strong performance this evening, stopping 29 of 30 shots he saw but is tagged with the hard-luck loss. Tonight's shutout of the Bruins also snaps a 71-game streak where the B's had not been shutout by an opponent, with their last blanking coming in a 1-0 loss against Ottawa on Feb. 28, 2012. Colorado's win also extends their winning streak in Boston to six games.

AVS SCORE AN EMPTY NETTER: With 25.7 seconds remaining in the final period, Colorado's Matt Duchene was able to tack on an empty net goal with Tuukka Rask pulled to give the Avalanche a 2-0 cushion.

B'S GET A FOUR-ON-THREE: At 11:20 into the third period, Colorado's PA Parenteau was called for hooking on Loui Eriksson, while Eriksson was issued an embellishment minor on the play. After 35 seconds after four-on-four, Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog was called for hooking to put the Bruins in a four-on-three man advantage for 1:25. The Bruins were able to create chances, including shots from Torey Krug and Zdeno Chara, but Colorado Giguere continued to remain poised in net to keep the Bruins scoreless with under six minute to go in the third period.
BERGERON CALLED FOR TRIPPING: B's centerman Patrice Bergeron was called for tripping with 11:43 to go in the third period putting on Bruins on another penalty kill. The Black & Gold PK remained strong and kept the puck out of their own end for a majority of the penalty to Bergeron, limiting Colorado's opportunity to increase their lead with under 10 minutes remaining.

PAILLE FILLS IN ON KREJCI LINE: With Milan Lucic serving the 10 minute minor for a majority if the third period, Head Coach Claude Julien opted to give Dan Paille shifts alongside David Krejci and Jarome Iginla. The move nearly paid off as Paille almost converted on a cross-ice pass from Iginla, but wasn't quite able to get enough stick on it to send it past a diving Giguere, who was caught out of position for a split second.

B's Postgame Coverage: Stay tuned for our postgame coverage and follow us on Twitter @NHLBruins for quotes from the B's locker room and Head Coach Claude Julien.

Bruins on Instagram: Follow NHLBruins on Instagram for behind the scenes pictures and the best in-game photos: www.instagram.com/nhlbruins

Next Game: The Bruins are back in action on Saturday as the head to Ohio to take on the Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 2:00 pm local.

8:51 pm - Second Period Snapshots: Bruins 0, Avalanche 1

FLURRY OF PENALTIES TO END THE SECOND: Following a stoppage in play, with under a minute remaining in the second frame, both teams engaged in some pushing and shoving, which flared tempers on both squads. After all was said and done five penalties were assessed from the scuffle: Four two-minute minors for roughing were given to Milan Lucic & Jarome Iginla of the Bruins and PA Parenteau & Gabriel Landeskog of the Avalanche. Lucic was also handed a 10-minute misconduct for his role in the post-whistle activity.

CARON TO THE BOX: Jordan Caron was called for holding with 6:49 to go in the second period, giving the Avalanche another man advantage for two minutes. Tuukka Rask made three timley saves during the PK, including a stop on a Colorado slap shot from the blueline that Rask appeared to be completely screened on, allowing the Bruins to escape unscathed.

THORNTON & BORDELEAU DROP THE MITTS: Bruins enforcer Shawn Thornton dropped the mitts with Patrick Bordeleau, after Thornton didn't take too kindly to a hit on defenseman Dennis Seidenberg. The bout wasn't very long with both exhanging a few punches, but quickly fell to the ice soon after they engaged each other.

DOUGIE & Z GET CHANCES: With just under 13 minutes in the second period, Dougie Hamilton ripped a slapshot with a wide open lane just above the slot, which deflected back out to Zdeno Chara, positioned above the left faceoff circle, who quickly fired a shot right back in. Both shots got through the the Colorado goaltender clean, but neither was able to get by. Two good shots on net nonetheless by the B's, who are steadily finding shooting open lanes and getting solid scoring chances thus far in the second.

7:46 pm - First Period Snapshots: Bruins 0, Avalanche 1

KREJCI PENALIZED FOR HOOKING: At 18:56 into the first frame, David Krejci was called for hooking out in front of the B's net when he tripped up Matt Duchene. About 30 seconds into the penalty to Krejci, Andre Benoit sent a shot in from the blueline, that was tipped by Ryan O'Reilly and able to get by Rask, giving the Avalanche a 1-0 lead as we head into the second period.

CHARA, DOWNIE TO THE BOX: With just over three minutes to go in the first period, Zdeno Chara was called for cross checking on Steve Downie out in front of the Bruins crease. Steve Downie was also sent to the box in the scuffle for embellishment on the Chara shove. Four-on-four play took place after the penalites were assessed but neither team was able to sustain much pressure on either end of the ice.

BARRIE CALLED FOR HOLDING: The Bruins got their second power play chance of the evening, when Tyson Barrie of the Colorado Avalanche was called for holding with 6:38 remaining in the first. The Bruins were able to send in a flurry of shots, including a Johnny Boychuk bomb from just south of the blueline, which deflected off Giguere and the post a fraction of a second later, but ricocheted wide. The Avs goaltender managed to stand tall and withstand the B's second man advantage of the evening, keeping the Black & Gold scoreless.

KELLY LINE CHANCES: Jordan Caron and Chris Kelly sparked the Bruins best scoring chance of the first period, due in large to some slick passing through the neutral zone before gaining entry into the Colorado zone. After a few passes , back and forth, Chris Kelly crossed the blueline with the puck and sent a wrister in on Avs goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere who fumbled the puck only for a split second with Jordan Caron in hot pursuit. Caron took one swipe at it before Giguere was able to secure the puck, earning a whistle from the referee and a stoppage in play.Kelly had another chance with just over seven minutes left th eplay in the period when he found the puck all alone in the right circle before sending a shot in on Giguere, who was just able to body the puck up. Strong-all around period thus far for Kelly both offensively and defensively.
BRUINS GET AN EARLY PP: Less than two minutes into the first period, the Bruins went on the first power play of the game after Colorado's Jamie McGinn was called for goaltender inference, who collided with B's netminder Tuukka Rask on a rush into the B's zone. Despite having the man advantage the Black & Gold found themselves on their heels after yielding an untimely turnover, but Tuukka Rask was able to make a highlight save, making strong right-to-left push to knock the puck away with his left leg pad, then covering it up a split second later.

6:30 pm - Pregame Snapshots: Bruins vs. Avalanche

STARTING GOALTENDERS: Rask (2-0-0, 1.00 GAA, .966 Save %) vs. Giguere (0-0-0, 0.00 GAA, .000 Save %). Rask is 0-2-0 with a 2.54 GAA and .914 save % in two career games against Colorado. Giguere is 2-2-1 with a 3.19 GAA and .883 save % in six career games against Boston.
BRUINS VS COLORADO LIFETIME: The B’s and Avalanche will meet for the 135th time tonight (includes Colorado franchise as Quebec Nordiques) with the Bruins holding a 69-49-15-1 record and a 526 to 443 scoring edge in those games. The Black & Gold are 31-24-9-1 in their 65 lifetime games against the Avalanche in Boston, with a scoring advantage of 243-199 in those contests. The Bruins are winless against Colorado in their last seven games in Boston with a 0-5-1-1 record. Boston’s home winless stretch vs. Colorado is their longest such current streak vs. any NHL opponent.

STARTING ON THE RIGHT FOOT: The Bruins are off to a 2-0-0 start for the 20th time in franchise history. Should the Bruins come out victorious tonight, it will be the 13th time in club history that the Black & Gold have started 3-0-0 and the first they’ve gone undefeated in the first three games of a season since 2001-02.

POINT-PER-GAME SUCCESS VS COL: Four Bruins enter this evening’s contest with a point-per-game success or better against the Colorado Avalanche. Patrice Bergeron leads the way with eight points (1-7) in seven games against Colorado. Both David Krejci and Milan Lucic have skated in four games against Colorado with Krejci notching six points (1-5) and Lucic recording four points (2-2). Winger Brad Marchand has also seen success against the Avalanche tallying 2-2=4 totals in two games.

BOSTON BRUINS 90TH ANNIVERSARY: The Boston Bruins will pay tribute to 90 years of history during ten select home games throughout the 2013-14 season. The organization will honor each of the ten decades of Bruins hockey as part of the 90 Years Celebration presented by Alex and Ani. The first celebration game will take place on Monday, October 14 vs. the Detroit Red Wings, where 95-year-old Bruins legend Milt Schmidt will drop the ceremonial first puck to begin that day's tribute to the Bruins of the 1940's.

THIRD EPISODE OF BEHIND THE B SET FOR MONDAY, 10/21: The third episode of the Bruins all-access television series Behind The B presented by Alex and Ani will air on Monday, October 21 at 8:00 p.m. on NESN. Episodes one and two as well as exclusive extras can be viewed on the Bruins mobile app and on BostonBruins.com.

167 AND COUNTING: Following Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings, the Bruins have sold out 167 consecutive regular season and playoff games at TD Garden. Their last non-sellout was on Dec. 2, 2009 when they hosted the Tampa Bay Lightning and drew 16,553.

AVALANCHE NOTEBOOK: Colorado is in game two of a three-game road stretch, which started in Toronto on 10/8 and will end in Washington on 10/12…The Colorado Avalanche are off to its first-ever 3-0-0 start since the franchise moved to Denver in 1995… Colorado enters tonight’s matchup having won its previous five visits at TD Garden and are 6-0-1 in their last seven contests in Boston… Forward Cody McLeod enters tonight one game shy of skating in his 400th NHL game… Centerman Paul Stastny needs one point to reach 400 career NHL points… Winger PA Parenteau enters this evening leading Colorado in goals with three, while Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche with four assists.